Yes, There Is a War on Advertising. Now What?

Apple has been scaring up apocalyptic predictions for the future of advertising ever since it said its forthcoming mobile operating system would make it easier for apps to block ads in Safari browsers on the iPhone. Encouraged by the company, the scenario goes, consumers will shut marketers out to surf a perceived faster, cleaner, less-invasive web -- until the free Internet collapses for lack of ad revenue. But the truth is the horsemen were in the saddle well before the new operating system, which arrives on Sept 16.

The blocking movement has the potential to "threaten the economic viability of the media" and push more and more content behind paywalls, according to Dan Jaffe, the top lobbyist for the Association of National Advertisers. The world could split into information haves and have-nots, who can't or won't pay for the information and entertainment that's now free thanks to advertising, he said. "Potentially, this could change the whole economic structure of the Internet," he said.